Friday Afternoon Fry Up (April) (and May and basically June as well)

Wow, its been a long time since i set this blog up with the plan to write it in April, plus its Friday and not the Sunday and its afternoon and not morning, whoa, lots of changes. A lot has got in the way since then, moving home to Scotland for me most time consuming plus the subsequent fruitless job hunt, plus like Red I had my own stand up debut in Yuk Yuks comedy club Toronto to plan for and carry out before i came home. verdict was that I was pretty good. Though I have seen a bit of it back and Im not so sure about that particular verdict. Moving on this post will mostly be about what I have been watchin since last we spoke, which is quite a lot due to my current circumstances. in fact the lesson to be learnt is that if you plan to document a year of movie watching then leaving a 3 month gap to cover is a pain in the tits so il try cut it back down. So we will have that down the bottom, above that a few trailers of upcoming titles and above that some articles (that are better written than our stuff) that you should read including some Scott Pilgrim stuff as I am rather looking forward to it because it is set in my former home Toronto. Sob Sob.

LINKS

JJ Abrams interviewing Edgar Wright at LA film Fest.

A excellent article about Scott Pilgrim, Canada and Canadians from Walrus Magazine.

Make your own Scot Pilgrim avatar like mine above! ^^^^^^^

Variety sticks up for 3d, im not buying it, but then I never bought into mobile phones.

An entertaining look at footballers soirees into celluloid.

40 years of National Lampoon

Where have all the big persons films went? And we don’t mean Antichrist!

TRAILERS

Three films which are commanding my consciousness right now are, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Inception and the new Harry Potter film, and guess what? Heres the trailers.







oh, and Predators



ON Ruud's TV (amongst other places) THIS PAST MONTH OR THREE!

gona steal Red's aye or naw a meter to gauge my reaction for simplicity (sorry!)

Take The Lead (2006, Liz Friedlander, US) naw(ish)
Jesus Camp (2006, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, US) aye
Knowing (2009, Alex Proyas, US) naw naw naw
Four Last Songs (2007, Francesca Joseph, UK) naw
The Bucket List (2007, Rob Reiner, US) aye
Dirty Pretty Things (2002, Stephen Frears, UK) big aye
Music and Lyrics (2007, Mark Lawrence, US) aye(ish)
District 9 (2009, Neil Blomkamp, US) huge aye ya focking prawn
Major League (1989, David S. Ward, US) aye
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008, Nicholas Stoller, US) aye
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007, Dennis Duggan, US) aye
We Own The Night (2007, James Gray, US) aye
Waitress (2007, Adrienne Shelly, US) aye(ish)
Tropic Thunder (2008, Ben Stiller, US) naw
Avatar (2009, James Cameron, US) aye
Gran Torino (2009, Clint Eastwood, US) aye
Definately Maybe (2008, Adam Brooks, US) aye
Mr Woodcock (2007, Craig Gillespie, US) naw
Into the Blue (2005, John Stockwell, US) aye
Nick and Norahs Infinite Playlist (2008, Peter Sollett, US) aye
3.10 to Yuma (2007, James Mangold, US) oh aye
Sherlock Holmes (2009, Guy Ritchie, UK) aye
Blind Side (2010, John Lee Hancock, US) aye
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, Gore Verbinski, US) aye
The Damned United (2009, Tom Hooper, UK) aye lad
Jersey Girl (2004, Kevin Smith, US) aye
Very Bad Things (1998, Peter Berg, US) aye
American Cousins (2003, Don Coutts, UK) aye Sergio Casci wroted it and me and Red love that guy, or at least i do.
Dogma (1999, Kevin Smith, US) aye
Author! Author! (1982, Arthur Hiller, US) aye but only for completionist Pacinophiles
Knocked Up (2007, Judd Apatow, US) aye
Witness (1985, Peter Weir, US) aye
Dan in Real Life (2007, Peter Hedges, US) aye
Rain Man (1988, Barry Levinson, US) aye
Twilight (2008, Catherine Hardwicke, US) naw
Mean Streets (1971, Martin Scorsese, US) aye
Fantasyland (2010, Stephen Palgon, US) Available to watch in its entirity here! aye
Cruising (1980, William Friedkin, US) aye
Celtic Pride (1996, Tom DeCerchio, US) aye
Office Space (1999, Mike Judge, US) aye(ish) grossly overated
Garden State (2004, Zach Braff, US) naw
In The Loop (2009, Armando Iannucci, UK) fucking aye
Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008, Sacha Gervasi US) aye, eh?
Peeping Tom (1960, Michael Powell, UK) aye

Wow, what a list, nae chance im linking all those films to imdb, ma wee laptop couldnt handle the pressure. Think I have gave enough info for the anyone wishing to investigate further to manage it without too many problems though so will begin with a review of my 3 month viewing. First the trash; Take The Lead, Knowing, Tropic Thunder, Four Last Songs, Mr Woodcock Garden State and Twilight. All mince thought. Take the Lead in fairness i wasnt looking forward to as a ballroom mixed with street dancing film and it wasnt god awful so it misses a lot of critcism, however Knowing is garbage. watched it on a bus back from New York (name dropping) a good premise about numbers and that is ruined by a plot which sucks all sorts of ass. Tropic Thunder had all its funny bits in the trailer, Tom Cruise is over rated in it, Four Last Songs is time i will never get back, British guff set in Spain about a piano or some shite, Mr Woodcock wasnt funny and Garden State was all abit five years ago, dont think it will stand up. Twilight? Well, let me say i read the book and found it poor but so many like it and the movie so i gave the movie a go and I found i liked the book better and i have less of an understanding of women than i thought i did. I mean Edward in the film is rubbish, in the book even i fancied him a bit, he sounded awesome, none of that is in the film. And in the book all her pals are supicious of her, in the film they think she is ace. and also when did they become all varied ethnicities? reading the book i never got a sense that one of the boys was a trendy asian DJ, where did they yank that from? Most of all Edward though, if its true that girls like tall odd pale guys with huge eyebrows and are a bit flakey then i should have done a power more shagging in ma youth than i did.

Those that dodged the rubbish list and might surprise you are The Bucket List, Music and Lyrics, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Definately Maybe, Into the Blue, Jersey Girl, Celtic Pride and Very Bad Things. The Bucket List was fun and not too long, as was Music and Lyrics plus i like Hugh Grant. I find him watchable in everything. Dennis Duggan made Happy gilmore so is instantly absolved of Chuck and Larry which actually had some right good gags in it. Definatley Maybe isnt the worst chick flick ever and Into the Blue is actually very watchable despite starring Paul Walker as a top diver. Jersey Girl is a decent enough Kevin Smith film though I think i prefer listening to the man himself in him many media outlets than watch his films nowadays, Cop Out kinda sucked. Celtic Pride was written by Judd Apatow kinda putting to bed my misguided thought that he appeared out of thin air and made 40 Year Old Virgin and very bad things was directed by Pter Berg who is on of the world most underated directors i think.

3 Docos so will group them together, Jesus Camp had some scary kids who loved Jesus a bit too much. Fantasyland scared me too but in a way that i could see elements of my own life. Its a film based on an idea from a book about Fantasy Baseball and a season in the life of a player. Yikes. Well worth a watch i have to say and free online. Gonna review it proper i think though. Lastly Anvil which had everything, laughs and tears. I also liked how they showed these guys own houses and they were a bit like the house i had in Canada and it made me feel good for a second. I also got to find out the bar in Etobicoke they play in near the beginning as i think i might know it. Hope i do, i like to have those little attachements.

A few Classics in there, Dogma, Witness, Rain Man, Mean Streets and Peeping Tom of which only the latter I was watching for the first time and was suitably disturbed by the premise but blown away by the style and composition of the film. I guess plenty will disagree with me on Dogma as a classic but if its the 20th time you have seen them then they must be classics in your eyes and thats hw it is for me. Mean Streets i watched on DVD for the first time and it was great. I know he gets plenty praise for it but does Scorsese do the best soundtracks or what. Immense. Be My Baby might be my favourite song ever and it all stems from that opening scene (and not Dirty Dancing where it also features)

Sherlock Holmes and The Blind Side i watched on my flight home so probably not the best place to see those, dark scenes were pretty much unwatchable but i enjoyed both immensely. Sherlock Holmes is like a superhero movie. Very very good and Sandra Bullock was well worth her gong for The Blind Side which was about sport which plays into my list of likes nicely so I was always gona be engaged and ultimately not dislike it.

That which truely blew me away was such, District 9, Major League, Dirty Pretty Things, Avatar, Nick and Norah, 3.10 to Yuma, Damned United, Knocked Up and In the Loop. All awesome and well worth repeat viewing ad naseum throughout my life. They will be mentioned again. I think its fair to say they were all better than i was expecting, District 9 blew me away as i was expecting some sort of sci fi horror or something and was enthralled, same with Avatar which i had no real clue what it was about, ferngully in 3d was my assumption but it was so much more. Damned United did good things with an excellent source though some of my favourite parts of the book were omitted but for good reason. Dirty Pretty Things is my film for telling folk about so more folks see it cos it was really rather good and a great twist at the end. Knocked Up pisses all over Superbad which i unfairly always compare it with like a pair fo warring twin brothers for some reason. 3.10 to Yuma becomes the 4th western i have ever seen and everyone gets better than the last, i should watch more! Nick and Norah is proper excellent and having been to New York and recognised some parts it made abig difference, good music too. as for In the Loop, well i have no idea what it was about really, probably nothing and also the TV series its based on i have never seen but no matter Malcolm Tucker is now my hero, expect this to feature in Fry Up most every month!

The rest, ach there is too many, im bored writing, your probably bored reading or probably havent even got this far as i have rambled on too much. Fitbas due on soon too as i write this so im signing off.

thanks for reading. Back next month.

Ruud

Ruud at TIFF 2009 Part 4

Ok, going to go all Memento on this post and do everything backward. The reason is thus. I actually have a link (a legal one too) to the film i actually saw on festival day 4 so instead of firing it in after all my waffling about my day i thought i would mention it first putting it at the top so it could get noticed. So here we go.

The film i saw was Kings Ransom and the link is....well the link is dead. Through the power of the twitter it was brought to my attention on Sunday that the doco was at this location: http://kings.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=731&id=48191 and i clicked it and lo and behold it was there but guess what, now the link is dead. Sorry, what i should have done was come straight on, given y'all a heads up to day 4 by letting you in on the link but i didnt, again, apologies.

Possibly some readers may have seen it as, i got it from a twitter source (provided they are twitter users and were on around that time) its not as if i got it from some dodgy source, it came from NHL enthusiast and my current man crush Kevin Smith! But as i say, its dead so lets move on, i will still continue with the backwards narrative. Cos it might be fun.

I went home after the film very happy, Peter Berg is a top bloke, and he answered his questions well.


d

After the film Peter Berg rememerged as promised and gave us a wee insight into making the film. To be honest in a Canadian crowd with a film about hockey i was kinda out of my element. There was questions about his relationship with Gretzky and what he knew of the news at the time of his involvement with the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL, questions about how they got Peter Pocklington involved, someone mentioned he has a book coming out. It was all pretty much over my head. I would have liked if someone asked about his other movies, and his plans for the future, actually that kind of was answered because he couldnt stay long because he was going to film an episode of Friday night Lights: the TV series or something so i guess he is pretty into that deep. Note to self, must try get a look at that sometime actaully, the film was pretty excellent and Peter Berg rocks. Note finished.

So the film is pretty good, well edited i would say and the sound editing in particular stands out. Its a pretty frank and quite bueatiful documnetary actually and all the more surprising as it is about sport. A pretty brutal sport as well to. The interviews with all involved are candid and the archive footage is well used. For a Scotsman watching who was both too young and totally not interested when this happened it was fascinating to see how it all played out. The truth in what Gretzky says is in stark contrast and makes you wonder about our current sports stars, he wanted the glory of winning more cups and was genuinely gutted to leave his Edmonton team but also had determintaion and desire to be the highest paid player in the sport. Looking at trades and transfers now is that still the case. The thing that ran through my mind while watching this was how different this is to shows like That Was the Team That Was on the BBC. Its unfair to compare i suppose as the budgets released for this by ESPN would no doubt dwarf any auntie beeb would but, the idea of the series is comparable. Letting directors pick their subject and letting them go at it. Me, i would go in and look at the summer of 1995 when Tommy Burns took the Celtic job and left Killie fans like me crying. Now that would be a sports doco!

As i came in to the cinema it was filling up nice, i took my seat in the front half near the exits. As the host introduced the film, he also intriduced its director Peter Berg was here and would answer questions briefly after the film and with that Peter Berg bounded down the stairs to my left, having never watch Chicago Hope i had no idea what he looked like and so i just sat there when i should have jumped out and told him how much i liked his films, especially Welcome to the Jungle starring The Rock, really liked that somehow. I mean its not my favourite of his films but i still really like it.

Also i should say that the highlight of the shift was me being taught a new game, the game being "who have you touched?" I wont lie to you, its not a game for deep thinking intellectuals. Or maybe it is, the idea is a group of people have to name the most famous person they have touched, once all famous folk are out in the open you argue over who has touched the most famous person. It s terrific fun. I didnt win nor ever will with my efforts. I mean James Robinson is on my list, he of young William Wallace fame in Braveheart, or Stuart Hepburn who taught me sreenwriting at the tailend of my University life but also voiced the gruff Scottish coach in the famous for five minutes cartoon The Hurricanes. Suppose there is David Bolland, NHLer and member of the girlfriends family. I will need work on it. The rest of my work buddies picking were slim too, one had Brad Garrett who plays Ray Romanos brother in Everybody Loves Raymond for instance. Oh but the other guy touched Clooney as i mentioned already in another TIFF post, he wins. I suppose the overwhelming point of mentioning this game is that we discussed who was the big winner, who trumps everyone. A few of my workmates feel Michael Jackson trumps The Queen! I have to say thats madness, everyone knows the Queen, everyone knows Jacko, thats a fact but if you were to ask Jackson who is the most famous person in the world he would have said the Queen. If you had asked the Queen she would have looked at you like you were nuts and asked if that was a serious question!

So the shift was very quiet. What with it being the Sunday after the first weekend it was to be expected i suppose, all the industry parties and such stuff that i didnt go to (more to do with not being invited than any personal preference) put paid to the busy morning schedule we had up on the computer. So spent most of the morning chatting and i also made out a schedule of my own of what i want to watch and when for the next six days, to keep me right. Todays entries stretch to only one film however, those words being Kings Ransom. Kings Ransom is actually an episode from a TV series being made for ESPN called 30 for 30. Its to celebrate ESPN's thirtieth birthday, or aniversary if you will and they got 30 film makers to make a film on a sports topic of their own choice in their own style. Peter Berg is involved and he made the film I will go and see which is about Wayne Gretzkys trade to LA. Love movies, love sports, its a no brainer that i go to this.

Here is a trailer from the 30 for 30 site and also a link to that site for info about the film and also Berg

Kevin Smith Hockey Movie

Hockey, North American speak for Ice Hockey is a really good game actually. Football (soccer, sic) is also a very good game. I am probably wrong but hockey is almost (but not quite) as neglected in the movie world as football but it will soon have a new film in its canon and this one is by a respected and good director (in my opinion at least) and that is reason to rejoice.

As i have given this blog the title of "Kevin Smith Hockey Movie" it shouldnt be too hard to decipher as to which director is taking a pop at an actual sports movie so i suppose i should just get going with some info if you want it and highlight how excited i am about the prospect even at this early stage.

My interest was piqued by a few things, having liked Smiths films a lot over the years i have recently finished his book My Boring Ass Life and thought it was great and kinda developed a wee crush on him when i spot his name in anything i am instantly drawn so while hunting out the hockey scores on Tuesday night, mooching around the nhl website i chanced upon a piece about him and read with interest
that following A Couple of Dicks which is due out soonish, his next project will be a film about hockey!

The link i have put on explains it all in detail but to surmise, its a film based on a song (when at uni my scriptwriting lecturer oftens said that songs could form the basis of decent scripts and i long held the belief that that was bullshit but not no now) by a guy called Warren Zevon and is called Hit Somebody and so now on the imdb page for the expected film that is the title it is going under. Other links on this page have Will Wheaton as the lead, but i Think this was taken from some throwaway remark on twitter. Where else? Though i in no way have any opinion on Wheaton playing a role when i dont know what that role is, god, even if i did know the role i probably wouldnt have much of an opinion!

So, well, a thouroughly thought out blog would have some insight into the song from listening to it but there will be none of that here. I may seek out the song in the future but right now i am just happy that the film is being mooted. I have read its about an enforcer type player who would dearly love to score a goal but is sent out onto the ice simply to beat the crap out the opositions good players. Sounds good, it may even be a period piece which would be sweet.

So there we have it, 2011 is the estimated date of arrival which is kinda vague, but a date of arrival none the less, you could check back here regular to get updates on this project but i recommend Smiths own twitter account or his excellent websites.

Oh and Smith is in Britain right now and is visiting Scotland to talk, and Im in Canada.

Bollocks.

The Damned United: Movie Tie Ins

well its enevitable, set in stone some would say, when a popular book is made into a film and so it is relaunched to put itno the public eye more and more. And it all goes mental, and this movie tie in finds itself in the 2 for £7 deal in asda! Anyway, alongside Marley and Me on the shelves right now is The Damned United only it wont look like this;





It now looks like this;

Yes, they have used the movie poster to sell the book off the back of the film. For me not a patch on the other cover but there you go.

Anyway, its a mere couple of weeks till the film is released, hopefully the best football movie since

er,

well, since like ever.

Damned United: An Update

Here is the trailer, not exactly an exclusive i suppose, you have probably seen it already but nevertheless.



It comes out 27th March! go on ya beauty!

The Damned United

It has been my plan for many months now to write an article or two about books i have read that have cinematic potential. But, typically i may add, the idea got shelved in favour of lying about scratching myself and other such joys.

That was until this week when my appetite was renewed by the book in the title. The Damned United. Started reading it on Tuesday, finished today (Friday incidentally) and it is magic. For those of you who dont know its the story of Brian Clough's 44 days in charge of Leeds United, and for those of you who dont know Brian Clough is one of the most brilliant, succesful, enigmatic, famous, arrogant, brilliant managers ever to manage in the English game. In 1974 he took the job of his most sworn of enemies Don Revie, that being his vacated place as manager of then champions LEEDS LEEDS LEEDS!

The book is written in such a strange way, not as a biography as it may seem, rather as a work of fiction. The main character is Clough himself but it is written from his perspective, his thoughts, his doubts, his anger and triumph and takes us through the events of each of those 44 days, the trainign the games the nights alone, the drives to the stadium and segues it with his path to the Leeds hotseat, from his curtailed playing career to his time managing Hartlepool, Derby and Brighton.

Its not just Clough who is a well rounded fictional character, the rest have their traits nailed firmly on them, Don Revie, his nemisis and the man who haunts his dreams is almost like the emperor form Star Wars, the staff Revie left behind, have the LOTR Wromtongue effect, taking behind his back to the point he dreams theya re saying thing different to what they actually are. the Leeds players who seemingly hate his guts against the Derby players who adore him are all well rounded individuals also and the whole thing plays like a movie. Scenes such as him torching the desk or his discovery of the famous green jumper play in your mind as memorable scenes from a film rather than "gid bits" out a book. If you read it you will know what i mean, i wont tell any more even though if you are aware of the man and the story you know how it goes.

The other cinematic effect i have is Clough as character, in fact three images and performances came to the fore. Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast, Paul Bettany in Gangster no1, and both the book and film of American Psycho. By that its his ticks, the rage and the expletives of all three and the books repetitive nature which is so similar to Psycho, his explanation of his clothes and his routine mirrored in Damned as he talks of his route to his office, up his stairs, along his corridors, into his office, these elements are repeated constantly. All of this leads me to think of possible leads for the characters,

But wait, no need, no need at all, this book is already in production. slated to come out next year filming has began!



So its Michael Sheen as Clough, and he look great. But Timothy Spall is Cloughs long term right hand man Peter Taylor and an inspired choice Colm Meaney is Revie! martin Compston is going to be in it as John O'Hare and Stephen Graham as Bremner, looking at IMDBs page for the film it has an actor down to play Johnny Giles but from what i have read elsewhere he has sued the publishers and is to be ommited from future versions of the book so i cant understand why he is in the film, but thats merely a sidenote. Broadbents in it too so its a great cast, msot of the rest of it is folk you will recognise from yer Holby Citys and doctor Whos, good jobbing British actors. Plus! Plus its directed by a guy who used to direct Byker Grove! as well as some more sober stuff later in his career. All in all i cant wait, it was a terrific book and finger crossed it will be a brilliant film. Fingers crossed i say! Get them fucking CROSSED!